Such Innocence
by Lilysplash
Summary: This is my second challenge for StormClan! Here is the summary! That cat is so nice, how could she have ever done something wrong? She looks so helpless! I can't believe she's been accused of anything! Hope you like it! Please review!


**Me: Hey, this is another challenge from StormClan! Hope you like it!**

Such Innocence

_My red tail swept back and_ forth impatiently. As one of the senior warriors, I should be the one of the first cats she told. Told what? You might ask. Early today, a rogue she-cat had been snooping around our territory, and had even killed a squirrel! Our squirrel! Roguse are so oblivious, did she even stop to think that we might need that food to feed our young? No! Because she is a heartless rogue!

"Why is it taking them so long?" I hissed to myself. Berrystar was in her den talking over the matter with her deputy, Jumpwhisker. I turned to face the den when I heard a rustling noise from inside. Berrystar looked at me with surprise that I had waited outside her den. Why wouldn't I? This was an important matter!

"So?" I asked, curiously. Berrystar didn't answer my question, just leaped on top of the tree Highbranch where she made clan announcements. I quickly joined the cats below, waiting not at all patiently for her to tell us the decision.

"I have discussed the matter of the rogue she-cat wit Jumpwhisker," Berrystar yowled down to her clan. "Grassfeather, Sparrowflight, bring the accused forward." A brown tabby tom and a red she-cat nodded to their leader, and nudged a reddish ginger she-cat forward, none too gently.

"Rogue, state your name," my leader called down to the she-cat. I analyzed this rogue. Her red tinged ginger fur was flat, abviously she wasn't afraid, her ears weren't pinned back. Her green eyes flicked back and forth though, as if she would much rather be running around than standing here in camp.

"Rose," the she-cat answered. Her voice showed no fear, but was quiet. _She must be shy_, I thought to myself.

"Jumpwhisker and I have decided that Rose," Berrystar's attention was back on her clan now, "will be kept her for the time being. As a prisoner." When I looked at Rose thi time, her fur was bristling in fear, and her eyes were wide.

Murmurs started below, and they quickly turned into questioning yowls. _What_? I thought. _Why would Berrystar keep Rose captive? There is no point in doing so. If anything, it would just give us another mouth to feed._ I didn't speak up though; the leader's word was law. I was sure Berrystar had her reasons, even if I couldn't quite understand them.

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I quickly gobbled up the shrew I had chosen from the fresh-kill pile. It was small, but I wasn't that hungry. As soon as I finished my meal, grabbed a chaffinch to give to our prisoner. It was my turn to guard Rose, and I thought I'd bring her some food.

"I'm next on guard duty," I told Hornetwind, a black tom, as I approached the small nest where rose was kept. He nodded to me, and headed toward Jumpwhisker to receive his duties for the day.

"Here," I called to Rose, throwing the bird down before her. The ginger she-cat lifted her head from where it lay on her paws. She stretched out, and stood up from her nest.

"Thanks," the rogue she-cat meowed groggily. She bit into the prey, and chewed it slowly, then swallowed. "You're nicer than the others. Aren't you?

"Where did you get that idea?" I asked her, slightly embarrassed.

"Well, " she answered, "all the other guards have been mean, you know, calling me names and stuff. You haven't done any of those things."

"I just got here," I told her.

"Well, I don't think you will," Rose responded firmly. "What's your name anyway?"

"Hawktooth," I sighed, this cat was started to get on my nerves. "Eat your bird." She stopped talking, and ate the chaffinch without another word. I studied her closely. You could almost see her bones through her skin she was so skinny. She probably only killed the squirrel out of hunger, not because she was ignorant. She didn't seem to be of any threat.

"Can you help me get out of here?" Rose asked all of a sudden.

"What makes you think I'm going to help you escape?" I snarled, flustered.

"Look, we both know that I did nothing wrong," Rose meowed.

"Yes you did!" Hawktooth exclaimed, and then lowered his voice. "You hunted on Stormclan territory."

"But I didn't know that I was doing anything wrong!" Rose burst out, exasperated. "If you helped me get out of here, nothing would happen! Nobody would get hurt…please?"

Well, it was true that she had been imprisoned unfairly. And if she left, nothing would really happen. But, what if I got in trouble. I felt as if I should help her, all the same. I'd just have to be careful so no one would know that I'd had aided in her escape.

"Fine, I'll help you," I sighed. After all, it was the right thing to do. Right?

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Even though, as one of the senior warriors, I slept in the center of the warrior's den, I decided to sleep at the edge tonight. I'd made up an excuse about feeling too claustrophobic in the middle of all those cats. In truth, I just needed a spot to watch Rose's nest. Sunbreeze was guarding her at the moment, her golden fur swaying in the wind. I have to admit, I kind of have a crush on her, but that couldn't be helped at the moment. I had been carefully listening to Jumpwhisker's orders, and knew the whole entire guard schedule. Earlier, while Sunbreeze had turned her head, I'd stuffed some poppy seeds into the mouse she was eating. Pretty soon they should be taking affect. Yep, Sunbreeze's light green eyes started to shut, and after a while, she fell into a deep sleep. I checked to make sure that nobody was watching me, then raced over to Rose. She opened her eyes, she'd never really been asleep, and looked up at me.

"Ready?" I asked. She nodded. I unearthed the lavender I'd hidden underneath the moss that made up her nest, and we both rubbed it all over our pelts. No one could tell we had ever left camp now. We sneaked past Gorsefeather, who I'd also given poppy seeds to and was now fast asleep, at the camp entrance.

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"Okay," I mewed to Rose, "you're free to go. No one will know that I helped you escape."

"Thank you," Rose meowed gratefully.

"Bye," I meowed, not really caring that much. Rose nodded, and dashed away. I turned back in the direction of camp, and padded back to it.

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"Hawktooth!"

As I entered the camp, Berrystar rushed up to me. I could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't pleased one little bit.

"Yes?" I asked, kind of scared.

"Did you help Rose escape?" she asked me. The rest of the clan was awake too, even though it was the middle of the night.

"Rose escaped?" I asked, seemingly innocent. Berrystar saw right through it though.

"Silverflower saw you help Rose leave camp," Berrystar flicked her tail in the direction of a silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Silverflower! Well, that cat did have trouble falling asleep sometimes. She usually got poppy seeds from Junipereyes, our medicine cat. But I guess she forgot this time. "I don't know why you did it, but you are hereby banished from StormClan!"

"Um, Berrystar?" Jumpwhisker stepped forward. "Don't you think that's a little rash? Nobody got hurt, and Rose didn't really do anything wrong."

"The leader's word is law!" Berrystar yowled, her eyes seemed a little, crazy. "And he broke it! Hawktooth, you are banished! If you are spotted on StormClan territory again, you will be chased away!"

My icy blue eyes filled with shock, then narrowed in hatred. "Fine." I said. Then I turned around and left camp. I left with a vow though, a vow to hunt down Rose, and flay her alive.

**Me: So, what did you think? I thought it was kind of okay. Not my best work, a little too fast, some more description could have been used. But, besides that, it was okay. This was 1324 words, not including the author's notes, so it completed the 800-word minimum. Yay! Two more challenges to go to be full medicine cat in StormClan! Review, please!**

Sometimes doing the right thing for the wrong reason isn't the right thing to do.


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